Crucible-furnace.



No. 747,019. PATENTED DEC. 15,. 1903.

-J. D. SWINDE'LL GRUGIBLE FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4', 190a. 11o MODEL. 3SHEETSSHEBT 1.

WITNESSES V x W tlorney THE Noam pz'raas co, wore-mun. WASHINGYON. 11c.

No. 747,019. PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903. J. D. SWINDELL. ORUUIBLE FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR Attorney PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903,.

J. D. SWINDELL CRUGIBLE FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED :IEB. 4; 1903.

' 3 SHEETS no MODEL.

SHEET 3.

[N VEN TOR A ltamey WITNESSES irnn 9'1 ATE.

I'Patented December 15, 1903:

ATENT rricn.

JAMES D. SWINDELL, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMER- ICAN FURNACE AND MACHINE CO., OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CRUCIBLE FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,019, dated December 5, 03-

Application filed February 4, 1903. Serial No. 141,801. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES D. SWINDELL, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crucible Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it [0 appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in crucible steel-melting furnaces, the object of the invention being to provide a fu rnace of this character in which the crucibles can be readily removed without subjecting the workmen to the hot furnace-gases.

A further object is to provide a furnace of this character with a movable crucible-supporting bottom which can be raised to project the crucibles through the top of the furnace and at the same time out off the hot furnace-gases.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in vertical longitudinal section illus- 0 trating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section taken at right angles to Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section. Fig. 4. is a plan view with the cover and tracks removed.

1 represents the furnace proper, which is composed, preferably, of masonry supported over a chamber 2 (formed of masonry) by a bed 3, consisting, preferably, of I'beams and metal plates, as clearly shown.

The combustion-chamber 4 of the furnace is made rectangular and of general oblong shape, having its upper portion contracted,

or, in other Words, sloping inward, as shown' at 5, and an arched cover 6 is located on the top of the furnace. This cover 6 is composed the combustion-chamber.

the combustion-chamberis also made slightly con tracted to receive an approximately wedgeshaped and oblong bottom 9, and flues 10 are provided in the walls of the furnace for the entrance and escape of the furnace-gases. The bottom 9 is made hollow, as shown, and has secured on its lower end a heavy metal plate 10 made near each end with holes in which hydraulic cylinders 11 are secured by rings 12, having threaded flanges thereon passed through the plate and screwed into internally-threaded flanges 13 on the lower end of the cylinders 11, and smaller cylinders l-l, fitting snugly in cylinders 11, are supported on beams 15 and made with inlets 16 in the lower ends and outlets '17 in their upper ends to direct the water into cylinders 11 to raise the bottom 9 or permit its descent,

as will be readily understood.

I-beams 18 are preferably projected across the chamber 2 to limit the downward movement of the bottom 9, the latter being preferably provided with a bed of charcoal 19 or other suitable material,on which the crucibles 20 are disposed, and a flange or enlargement 21 is provided on the lower end of the bottom 9 to not only limit the upward movement of the bottom, (as this is accomplished, primarily, by the beveled upper edge 22 of the bottom engaging the beveled or contracted upper portion of the combustion chamber) but also to make a tight joint against the lower edge of the furnace and prevent possibility of the escape of furnace-gases into chamber 2.

When the furnace is in operation, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. After the metal has become sufficiently heated in the crucibles and it is desired to remove the latter the cover 6 is first rolled from over the combustion-chamber and water under the necessary pressure is admitted to cylinders 14, through which it passes and exerts a powerful lifting power on cylinders 11 to raise the bottom 9. As the bottom is elevated the crucibles will be projected through the open top of the combustion -chamber, and when the bottom reaches its highest position the beveled upper edge 22 will tightly engage the contracted upper portion 5 of the combus- 10o Lion-chamber and the lower flanged edge 21 of the bottom will bear against the lower face of the furnace proper to entirely prevent the escape of the furnace-gases. Other or the same crucibles may be replaced on the bottom and the latter lowered into position by exhausting the water from the cylinder 11, when the cover 6 can be replaced and the operation of the furnace repeated.

Steam or air might of course be used for elevating the bottom, and various slight changes might be resorted to in the general form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myselfat liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a furnace, the combination with a combustion-chamber having an opening in its roof, of a movable bottom, and means for raising said bottom into contact with the root of the combustion-chamber to prevent escape of furnace-gases.

2. In a furnace, the combination with a combustion-chamber having an opening in its root and having an internal sloping portion in its roof, of a bottom movable in the furnace and having a beveled upper end to engage the sloping portion of the roof and means for raising said bottom.

3. In a furnace, the combination with a combustion-chamber having an opening in its roof, of a bottom constructed when raised to engage the roof around said opening, a flange to engage the bottom wall of the combustion-chamber to close the lower end of the latter when said bottom is raised and means for raising said bottom.

4. In a furnace, the combination with a combustion-chamber having a conical portion in its roof and having a contact-opening in its lower end, of a conical bottom movable through said conical opening and adapted to engage the conical portion of the roof, and means for raising said conical bottom.

5. In a furnace, the combination with a combustion-chamber having lateral fiues below its roof for the passage of furnace-gases, of a-bottom for the combustion-chamber, and means for raising said bottom into contact with the roof of the combustion-chamber and closing said lateral flues.

6. In a furnace, the combination with a combustion-chamber open at its top and bottom, a removable cover for said chamber, a movable bottom and means for raising said bottom in contact with the roof of the combustion-chamber to project crucibles on said bottom through the opening in the roof and prevent the escape of furnace-gases.

JAMES D. swINDELL.

Witnesses:

GEO. PIPER, J AS. H. SWINDELL. 

